Zombies and Diamonds clash Or do they?
by Fairusa84
Summary: Entry for the All Hallow's Eve o/s contest. Bella moves in with her cousin Emmett and his girlfriend Rosalie. Her best friend Alice decides to combine her annual Halloween party with a Welcome Home party in Bella's honor. AH with some lemon zest.


**All Hallow's Eve One-Shot Anonymous Contest Entry**

Submission Heading: _All Hallows Eve Contest_  
PenName: Fairusa  
Title: Zombies And Diamonds Clash. Or Do They?  
Word Count: 7088

Pairing: canon couples, but mostly BxE  
Summary: Bella moves back to Seattle from Washington DC, moving in with her cousin Emmett and his girlfriend Rosalie. Because it's Halloween, her best friend Alice decides to combine her annual Halloween party with a Welcome Home party in Bella's honor.  
Disclaimer: SM owns, I just play. AH. Some fluff with a hint of lemon zest.

* * *

**Zombies And Diamonds Clash. Or Do They?**

The first sensations as I was regaining my bearings did nothing to convince me I was waking up. Instead, I wrote them off as a particularly nagging case of my mind playing tricks with me. I _had_ to be dreaming, this couldn't be true.

Surely, any moment I'd wake up in my room in Washington. DC, not State, mind you. Far away from where I longed to be. I'd be in the small twin bed Charlie had purposefully bought so that when – _if_, if Charlie had any say in the matter – _he_ would visit, he'd be forced to sleep on an air mattress or, preferably, in the guestroom.

When I'd wake up fully, the strong arms holding me, lifting me out of the car, would disappear. The familiar, intoxicating, masculine scent, my mind's cruel way of tricking me into believing this was real, would only linger on the shirt I had stolen from him after waking up in his arms for the last time. The shirt I had ripped off him the night before I had to leave. The shirt I kept in my bed to hold on to whenever I couldn't sleep, which was pretty much all the time.

Still, I was happy to give in to my hallucinations and pretend to be in his arms. I must have been missing him even more than I had thought, because he seemed awfully real. My mind was setting me up for certain disappointment upon waking, but I gladly suffered that if it meant being close to him for just a few moments longer. So, instead of opening my eyes, I snuggled closer to the body holding me, clinging to it.

We were moving and through my haze I could make out the faint sounds of people shuffling around us and talking quietly. A door opened and closed and the sounds stopped. I was still surrounded by warmth and familiarity, so I didn't worry about the change of surroundings. In fact, this probably meant I had some mental privacy with my delusion of Edward. All the better.

I felt I was being lowered onto something soft – a bed? The strong arms holding me moved away. No! I didn't want to lose this connection, so I tightened my grip on his neck, holding on for dear life. And then it happened. My hallucination spoke to me.

'Ssssh', his soft, melodical voice cooed in my ear, 'I'll be right back, love. You just rest.'

I let go of him, trusting him to uphold his promise. I heard his retreating footsteps, then a door opening again. He exchanged a few words with someone on the other side, but it was too low to make out from where I was. The door closed once more and moments later I felt the bed dip next to me. I turned my body in the same direction and immediately felt myself being pulled into a tight embrace, a hand rubbing soothing circles over my back.

All of it felt just too real. I _wanted_ it to be real. So bad.

I decided I was going to risk it. Risk waking up to an empty room and an empty bed. Risk waking up alone. I was willing to risk it for the small chance that I actually _wasn't_ dreaming, that all of this was really true.

So I opened my eyes and realized that nothing changed. My hallucination was still intact, only improved by sight. I wasn't so sure it was a hallucination anymore. Next, I turned my head and looked up... There was no way I could have hallucinated the intensity I found in the most beautiful pair of dazzling green eyes looking back at me.

'Edward...', I breathed.

I was home.

I met Edward when I had just moved here from Phoenix, Arizona, right before the start of my junior year of high school. My mother, Renee, had remarried that summer and after the honeymoon she and her new husband, Phil, were going on the road with his baseball team. I could have put my foot down and demand she stay in Phoenix with me so I could finish high school there, but that wouldn't have been fair to her. And I would be leaving for college in a while anyway. So I figured I'd skip to the inevitable and let her be happy.

Instead, I moved in with my father, Charlie. He had been the Chief of Police in the small town of Forks, Washington, but had relocated to Seattle a couple of years earlier after having accepted a tempting job offer from the Seattle Police Department. He was now supervising a team of detectives, a job far more thrilling than the endless card games he used to play with his deputy back in Forks, waiting for something other than a traffic violation to happen.

As far as parental supervision was concerned, not much changed, making the weather seem like the biggest change. Both Renee and Charlie pretty much let me be, as long as I kept my grades up and they knew my whereabouts. The big plus, however, was that my cousin Emmett also lived in Seattle. We had pretty much grown up together in Phoenix, but with him being four years older, he had moved to Seattle on a football scholarship when I was fourteen. We kept in touch, of course, but I missed him. He was the big bother I never had. Needless to say, I was excited about being able to spend more time with him again. He lived in a two-bedroom apartment off campus with his girlfriend Rosalie and I spent a lot of my free time there, seeing as Charlie was barely home between work and fishing trips.

It was during my first weekend here that Emmett had invited me over for a movie night. He had also invited his best friend and that friend's sister, who was my age. I was just settled on the couch with a drink when they arrived. After greeting them, and Rosalie going back into the kitchen to fix their drinks, Emmett turned to me.

'So guys, this is my cousin Bella. She just moved here from Phoenix. Bells, this is Edward Cullen and his sister Alice.'

I heard him, but his words didn't really register. I was dumbfounded. Struck silent since the moment _he_ walked in. In all of his tall, lean, toned, bronze-haired, green-eyed perfection. My jaw may have dropped at the sight. Yes, _that_ gorgeous. So obviously – at least to me – also very much out of my reach. Except that he was looking at me with those intense eyes and actually acknowledging me. Not dismissing me as the insignificant high school girl I felt I was at that moment.

But before he could say anything or I was able to compose myself, the little sprite next to him bounced over to me and enveloped me in a fierce hug with a strength I didn't expect from someone so tiny.

'Hi! I'm Alice! I'm so glad to finally meet you! Emmett told me so much about you, I just know we're gonna be the best of friends!'

And she was right. Alice took me under her wing and introduced me to her group of friends and her boyfriend, Jasper.

It took her all but three days to find out I had a birthday coming up. She insisted on throwing me a party, even though I insisted it wasn't necessary, since I didn't really know that many people yet and didn't want all the fuss.

'Nonsense! You can't let a birthday pass unnoticed. I'll keep it small, I promise, just the lunch crowd and your cousin. But we have to do _something_. Please please please?'

Already, she had me wrapped around her perfectly manicured little fingers and I couldn't deny her anything, especially when she was pulling out the puppy eyes like that. So I agreed to a small get-together at her place. Charlie was a little apprehensive about the party, though. Something about being around people I didn't even know, or rather, people he had no way of running a background check on beforehand.

'Dad, relax. It's not that big a deal. Just some people I eat lunch with at school. And Emmett and Rosalie.'

'So, these kids from school... does that include boys?'

I could've made a sarcastic remark about attending an all-girls school, but that probably would have backfired.

'Yes, dad, there will be a few boys there, too. I eat lunch with them every day. It's not the end of the world. Just hanging out a bit. I can give you their names if you want. Besides, Alice's parents will be there, too. You know Carlisle and Esme, you like them.'

In the end he conceded and the party was a go.

Of course, having a small event didn't mean I got out of dressing up. If there's one thing I learned about Alice within that first week was that she used any excuse to go shopping. She would probably end up a personal shopper or a stylist or something, because not only did she love it, she was also very good at it. I mean, anyone can spend tons of money, but it takes skill to spend it accurately. She managed to always pick out the perfect clothes and accessories to suit the occasion but also the person wearing them. So even though I didn't really care for much of it, I didn't mind with Alice. Much.

'Alice, I don't need to dress up to hang out with people I see every day.'

'All the more reason to do just that. Let them see a different side of Bella Swan! Besides, don't you want to look nice for Edward?'

I flushed scarlet. Had I been that obvious?

'What do you mean?'

'Oh, come on! As if it isn't crystal clear that you're totally into him!'

Try as I might to divert her attention, she was right, though. In the short time that I had known Edward, I'd been gathering bits of information about him. I thought I had been subtle, but apparently not so much. So far, I had learned that Edward was the allstar quarterback of the football team, while my cousin was a linebacker. They had met during freshman orientation and became instant friends. He drove a silver Volvo. As a child he had taken piano lessons and although he still played occasionally, he had prefered football. He'd never had a serious girlfriend and, even though girls pretty much threw themselves at him, he barely dated. His favorite color used to be red, but lately he prefered blue. Alice gave me a knowing look upon revealing that tidbit, but wouldn't elaborate.

I refused to dismiss it as a coincidence when she picked a blue dress for me to wear on my birthday. It was quite modest really: it his just above my knee, had short sleeves, a V-neck and a ribbon just below the bustline. Truth be told, I'd never really worn dresses – except for Renee's wedding – until I met Alice.

Whatever her motivations, her scheming worked. When we emerged from her room the night of the party, Edward's eyes were bugging out of their sockets. That night he confessed to being attracted to me since he first laid eyes on me. I was baffled, to say the least. He had gotten me a delicate silver necklace with an evil eye pendant surrounded by Swarovski crystals. Also that night, he gave me my first kiss. It happened in the hallway outside Alice's room as he was bidding me goodnight. It was brief but sweet and perfect.

He revealed that his color preference changed because I wore a deep blue blouse the night we met. I admitted that I loved the shade of green in his eyes. After a few weeks I decided to introduce him to Charlie. I'd really hoped they'd hit it off, given their shared love for football and seeing as Charlie had a deep respect for Carlisle. However, for some reason, Charlie didn't like Edward very much. He didn't keep me from seeing him, but he also didn't try to hide his dislike for him. Luckily for us, his fishing trips with Billy Black and Harry Clearwater, his friends from back in Forks, didn't diminish, and I usually spent my weekends either at Emmett's or with the Cullens.

Things progressed at a steady pace. I shared all of my firsts with him. He felt me up the week after my birthday on the couch in Emmett's living room as him and Rosalie were in the kitchen finishing dinner. The first time Edward gave me an orgasm was when he stuck his hand down my panties during one of my weekend sleepovers and worked me until I was a quivering mess under his expert touch. I didn't wait long to reciprocate and Edward was happy to teach me how to please him.

Once I'd caught a glimpse of his naked body, I couldn't get enough and it wasn't long before I gave Edward my virginity. It happened after last year's Halloween party. Alice had spent weeks putting together the perfect mix of horror and glamour and, aside from Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton having one of their dramatic break-ups during the party, it was a huge success. Jasper, dressed as a cowboy, could barely keep his hands off Alice in her witch costume. We had decided I should dress up as a cat in a miniskirt, cuffs, collar, boots and cat ears. Edward had wanted to dress up as a cop at first but that rang a little too close to home for me so I had vetoed that costume. Instead, he went all caveman, which basically meant I – and all the other people at the party, but by then I couldn't even care about that anymore – spent the entire party ogling my very sexy boyfriend clad in nothing but a faux-fur loincloth handling a club.

Our first time was far from perfect, but it was with Edward. He took his time undressing me, kissing every inch of skin he exposed in the process. He lavished attention on my sensitive spots and only when I was blissfully buzzed from my post-orgasmic high did he reach for a condom and ease his way into me. It didn't necessarily hurt, but it was a little uncomfortable at first. I mean, I never had anything bigger than a tampon in there and Edward was considerably bigger than that. He was gentle, though, and really made an effort to make the experience memorable and pleasurable for me.

I would always remember and cherish that Halloween.

After that, we were almost insatiable. We had sex every chance we got. Some times were quick, to the point and filled with carnal lust for each other, while other times we took our time worshipping each other's body.

The first time Edward told me he loved me was very sweet and cute, save for the fact that he couldn't remember it. He had gone out with the entire football team, celebrating a victory, while Rosalie and I had a girls' night in. Needless to say, he was considerably intoxicated when he and Emmett stumbled in, sometime during the wee hours of the morning. He had managed to undress himself while making his way over to the bed and when he slipped in next to me, I noticed he wasn't that drunk that his body didn't react to my presence.

'Hm, baby, you smell so good...', he mumbled as he nuzzled my neck while his hands ghosted over my body.

Who was I to deny him what we both wanted? I sure as hell didn't mind being woken up by a very horny, if slightly incoherent, Edward.

So he made love to me. After a while, the amounts of alcohol he had consumed caught up with him, though, and I could feel him going limp inside of me. I was a little bummed, of course, because he had gotten me all worked up. But it was also quite endearing. Even more so when he'd started sobbing uncontrollably.

'I'm so... sorry... baby...', he choked out in between hiccups, 'I'm... such a... screw up! It's just... I love you... so fucking much!'

I was rendered speechless and froze. But before I could come to my senses and say something, anything, he'd passed out on top of me.

The next morning I had woken up in an empty bed. Edward's clothes were thrown haphazardly around the room, a testament to his state. I found him minutes later in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet. Smiling a little to myself – I mean, it was all his own doing that he was hung over – I made my way into the kitchen to start breakfast. Greeting me with a grumble while holding onto a big steaming cup of coffee was Emmett.

'Good morning, dear cousin!', I all but cheered.

'Shut up! My head...', he moaned.

'Serves you right for waking me up at three and then passing out on me', Rosalie muttered from her spot in front of the stove.

'You, too, huh?', I laughed.

A few minutes later Edward joined us in the kitchen, looking slightly better. I filled a large cup with coffee and put it in front of him. While he was taking slow sips I moved to stand beside him, brushed his hair out of his eyes and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

'I love you', I said softly and kissed his cheek.

He froze, then blinked and slowly put his cup down. He turned to look at me and I offered a shy, lip-biting smile. I mean, he'd said it the night before, but I still wasn't sure how he would react to me saying it now. I shouldn't have worried. His face broke out into the biggest grin I'd ever seen. Then he jumped up off his seat, nearly toppling it over, picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, making me squeal. He all but ran back to my room, leaving behind a very confused Emmett while Rosalie just shrugged and continued cooking. Once in my room, Edward put me down and backed me up against the door.

'Do you really mean that?', he asked excitedly, his hangover seemingly forgotten.

I managed to nod in confirmation before his lips crashed down on mine.

'I love you, too, baby! So fucking much!'

Charlie didn't know about our sexual excapades – at least, not officially. He would have probably put an end to any and all sleep-overs. On occasion he would inquire how things were going and that was pretty much it. Renee, on the other hand, was much more involved, despite the distance.

When she called me to ask how my birthday had been there was no fooling her. She was very excited about the news and trusted Emmett's choice in friends. My technically challenged mother was actually so excited that she asked Phil to set up a Skype account for her and practically ordered me to get Edward in front of a webcam as soon as possible. During that conversation she had managed to keep her cool, but as soon as Edward left the room she had started to gush. She absolutely loved him.

'Oh sweetie, I'm so happy for you! He seems so smart and genuine and nice... And he is so very handsome! The way he looks at you... that smile, the way his eyes light up... Are you being safe?'

Now, this took place before anything remotely sexual had happened, so I got a little flustered.

'Mom, it's not like that.'

'Bella...'

'Yet. We've only been on one date since my party. And it's...'

'Alright, alright. I trust you. You've always been so... I don't know... wise, mature... about things. I just don't want you to rush things. Be seventeen, honey, not thirty-seven. And promise me you'll be careful. Even though I'm all the way over here, you know you can always call me, right?'

And she meant well, so I just smiled and nodded, trying to keep the tears from overflowing. It had been my choice to leave, and I didn't regret that decision one bit, but I still missed her. Also, I missed not truly being able to talk to Charlie about Edward. He just didn't want to hear of it, like it wouldn't exist if he ignored it. Luckily, Renee had always acted more as my friend than my mother when it came to relationships; I couldn't even remember how many times I had shared a bucket of Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough with her while she cried over one guy or another. She also found it very important that I be well-informed about the subject, so when I had gotten my first period, not only did she explain to me what was happening to my body, but rather gave me an education that would put any Sex Ed teacher or book to shame.

Soon after my talk with Renee, I asked Carlisle for a prescription for birthcontrol. He was surprised by my forwardness, but pleased I was being so responsible. Carlisle and Renee both agreed they couldn't stop us from doing what we wanted; they could only try to inform us on our options. So that pretty much left only Charlie out of the loop as far as that was concerned.

He didn't remain there for long, though.

Edward and I were thoroughly enjoying ourselves in my room one evening, under the presumption that Charlie was working a double shift at the police station and wouldn't be home until the next morning. I had put on a playlist consisting of a lot of Robin Thicke, some Usher, Muse and Lenny Kravitz and cranked up the volume a bit so the neighbors would only hear the music and not my moans and Edward's grunts. Unfortunately, that meant any noises outside of my room were drowned out as well. Which in turn meant that we didn't hear the front door opening.

Charlie had decided to use his break to pick up a pizza and bring it over. His way of making sure I ate dinner, even though I usually was the one to cook. And also his way of making sure I wasn't up to anything he didn't approve of.

We were all in for a surprise.

As Edward was grunting out his release and I was chanting his name in between frantic kisses, my bedroom door opened. Apparently, Charlie had knocked upon hearing music coming from my room, but we had been too busy to notice.

'What the hell is going on in here?', he bellowed.

Luckily for Edward, Charlie had the habit of taking off his gun the moment he walked through the front door. However, Edward still recovering from his orgasm wasn't exactly about his wits and reflex reactions. He could only manage to collapse on the bed beside me while I shrieked and pulled the sheets up to cover us both.

Long story short: Edward was kicked out, I was grounded for two weeks and Charlie's illusion was shattered.

After that, I wasn't allowed to have any more sleepovers, with the exception of Alice coming over. I hated not being able to wake up with Edward anymore, but at least I was still allowed to see him. Edward hated our time apart, too, but he tried to be calm about it, reasoning that if we played by the rules, he would eventually loosen up.

I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Charlie was very good at his job, which is why he had such a successful career built for himself. It would only be a matter of time before he would come up with a plan to get rid of Edward.

His skyrocketing career ultimately provided the opportunity he needed: he was offered a job with the FBI, which meant he was moving to Washington DC and taking me with him. I begged and pleaded with him to come up with a solution so I wouldn't have to move, but he wouldn't hear of it. And this really was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Charlie, his skills and determination being rewarded and appreciated like that. I couldn't ask him not to take the job offer. He was just a little too happy about accepting it and taking me away from everyone I loved. Especially Edward.

With the help of Carlisle and Emmett, we did reach a compromise of sorts. I would live with Emmett and Rosalie while I finished my junior year, and move to Washington during the summer. Those weeks were the best of the entire year. Emmett didn't keep Edward away from me, as long as I was at home on schoolnights and kept my grades up.

Anxiety would have kept me up all night the night before I had to leave if it weren't for Edward. He took me out to dinner, which I barely ate because of the lump in my throat. We soon went back to his place. Alice was probably over at Jasper's, but I knew Carlisle and Esme must have been home. We didn't see them, however, as Edward quickly escorted me upstairs to his room. He closed and locked the door, drew the curtains and put a lengthy playlist on repeat. We barely slept that night; instead savoring our last night together, loving each other.

When I woke up the next morning I couldn't stop crying. Edward held me in the shower and gently washed my hair, trying to kiss my tears away. The Cullens and Jasper were waiting for us when we got downstairs, enveloping me in hugs and promises of phonecalls and visits. After breakfast, Emmett and Rosalie came over with my bags to take me to SeaTac. I didn't want to have a complete meltdown in the airport, so I had asked that only Edward accompany us there. Alice and I shared an emotional goodbye in her room, both of us crying our eyes out, not capable of any form of conversation. When we both had calmed down somewhat it was time to leave for the airport. The carride over was quiet, with me practically in Edward's lap in the backseat of Emmett's Jeep.

I don't really remember what happened once we arrived at the airport, it's all kind of blurry to my. I think I blocked those memories to spare me the anguish of picturing Edward's pained expression. At least I passed out from exhaustion during the flight. By the time I had arrived in my new room I had gone numb.

That was also pretty much my state of mind for the entire time I was in Washington. I started out at a new school, but I didn't socialize. I didn't even try. I was happy to wallow. Probably a little immature, but I couldn't care. Charlie had taken me away from the one place I felt at home and I wasn't about to make an effort in hiding my feelings. The one light in my misery were my almost daily phonecalls with Edward. In hindsight maybe not the brightest of our ideas, but at the time I couldn't stand not hearing his voice.

After a few weeks of walking around like a zombie like that and making everyone around us miserable, Emmett intervened. It took some lengthy phonecalls with my cousin and a threat from Renee to fly out to Washington to reason with him, but Charlie finally gave in, admitting I was miserable and it would be in my best interest to move back. I was going to live with Emmett and Rosalie again. There wasn't much he could do about me moving back, anyway. I had just turned eightteen, and legally, I could do as I wished. However, I still depended on my parents to pay my tuition and other expenses, and despite his attitude towards Edward, Charlie was still my father and I loved him. I didn't want to cut him out of my life like that.

The practicalities were dealt with quickly enough. My friends were glad to hear I was returning, I could re-enroll in school and Edward was all but extatic – just like me. I couldn't wait to be back, to be with him again. And because of that, time seemed to slow down. When I finally found myself in the airplane, it was no surprise that I was bouncing in my seat. People around me shot me wary glances and the flight attendants came to check on me on more than one occasion. I couldn't really blame them. To them I probably looked all sorts of worked up, and frankly, I was.

Because I already had my room at Emmett and Rosalie's apartment, I could leave most of my stuff behind. It wasn't like I was attached to any of the things Charlie had bought for me in Washington either. They held no memory or meaning for me. The things I did want to bring back home with me fit in two large suitcases and a duffelbag. I hurriedly piled them onto one of the carts at SeaTac and all but ran towards the _Arrivals_ hall, ducking around other travellers. When I got there, I stood on the tips of my toes, searching for a familiar face. The crowd around me slowly dispersed and finally, finally, there he was.

Edward looked tired, like he'd gotten about as much sleep as I had. He was awfully pale and had dark cirkles under his eyes. But he was scanning faces, too, and the way his face lit up when we locked eyes at last almost erased all of the fatigue. I abandoned my cart and ran towards him. He pushed some people aside and with just a few of his large strides I felt his arms around me. I jumped in his embrace, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. Everything around us ceased to exist, the only thing that mattered was that we were together again. I lost myself in his kisses.

'Uhm, Edward?', a voice behind us chuckled, 'Can I say hi to my cousin for a minute?'

Oh, right. Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper had also come to pick me up. Edward reluctantly set me back down so I could hug them, but kept his arms securely wrapped around me. It was obvious: he wasn't letting me go. I loved it!

After the initial welcome, Jasper took my cart and we all moved to the cars. I snuggled up to Edward in the back of Emmett's Jeep – talk about déjà vu, only this time no one was crying – and dozed off before we even left the parking garage.

I was finally ready and able to admit to myself that I wasn't dreaming when I looked into Edward's beautiful green eyes and saw my own relief and happiness reflected in them. I reached up to hug him again, burrying my face in his neck, breathing him in.

Realizing I was being rude to Emmett and Rosalie for hiding out in my room with Edward, I moved to get off the bed, but Edward stopped me.

'Where are you going?'

'Getting my bags and seeing if I can help set up the party. I don't want to be rude.'

'Baby, they all left.'

I must have looked very confused, because he quickly elaborated.

'They're out to get some food, pick up the costumes and give us some privacy.'

'Oh. That's... thoughtful of them. How much time... I mean, what time will they be back?'

'We've got about an hour and a half', he smiled his panty-dropping crooked grin at me.

Yeah, definitely leaving the unpacking for tomorrow.

'You guys should totally dress up as Cinderella and Prince Charming this year!', Alice had suggested during one of our Skype sessions in the weeks leading up to my move.

She had taken it upon herself to coordinate our costumes for her annual Halloween party this year, which happened to coincide with my move. She had actually named it _Project Halloween Homecoming_. When I first heard of that I had just shaken my head and laughed. Alice always loved a project and a reason to go all out. This year, she had decided we should get couple's costumes and from past experience we all had learned that it was best to give Alice as much free reign as possible when she had set her mind to something. Within reason, of course. And Cinderella was definitely not within those boundaries.

'I don't think so.'

'Why not? It's so romantic!'

She actually made an effort of folding her hands in front of her chest, batting her lashes and sighing for added dramatic effect.

'For one, you got to dress me up all princess-like for Prom, remember? Second, it's Halloween, I wanna be something scary.'

Alice had huffed a little at first, but within moments her face had lit up and I knew she had found inspiration.

By the time I emerged from my much needed shower after having thoroughly reacquainted myself with my boyfriend, Alice all but shoved me into my room and locked the door.

'First things first,' she said as she squeezed me to her, 'I'm so glad you're back! Things are not the same without you. I've missed you!'

I felt myself tearing up a bit again. Happy tears this time. As much as the energetic bubbliness that was Alice could annoy me at times, I had truly missed my best friend. If Emmett was the big brother I'd always wanted, Alice was the twin-opposite I never had.

'Okay, no crying. Tonight is all about fun! Let's get started!'

Alice was really a force to be reckoned with. Trust her to delegate different items on her list, but checking it herself for good measure. She probably had everyone busy for days in preparation for this party. We all endulged her, because in the end it was totally worth it.

The costumes she had chosen were very cute and fitting. She and Jasper looked like they had just stepped out of an old gangster movie; Jasper in a black pinstripe suit with gold buttons, a goldcolored tie, a big hat and tommy gun, with a mustache drawn on his upper lip. Alice was almost made to be a flapper girl: her black hair was the perfect length for the typical Gatsby hairdo and a striking contrast with the goldsequined headband with feather. She was wearing a gold/creamcolored slipdress with a sequined bustline and straps, overlain with embroidered chiffon. She finished it off with goldcolored stockings alluding to a garter belt underneath the dress, creamcolored Manolo Blahnik strappy sandals – with four-inch heels of course – and a long pearl necklace.

I could barely contain my laughter when I saw Emmett hauling a keg inside. He was dressed in a bunny costume with a brightly colored vest and matching bowtie. It wasn't until I saw Rosalie lighting candles throughout the living room and kitchen that I deduced he was supposed to be Roger Rabbit. Rosalie was a blonde bombshell version of Jessica Rabbit in a floorlength, strapless, nearly backless, redsequined dress with a sweetheart neckline that balanced precariously on her chest. I hoped Alice had thought to get her some double-sticky tape to hold it up. In true Jessica fashion, the dress had an almost sinfully high split, allowing her long, toned legs to be appreciated, running down into red patent leather Jimmy Choo peeptoe pumps.

When Alice was getting me ready I sort of expected what kind of costume she had gotten Edward, but I was still curious to see the endresult. He was wearing a simple black suit covered in spiderrags and some blood. His dirty shirt was untucked and his tie was stained, too. Alice had gone a little crazy with the facepaint, actually adding a scar with a shard of glass sticking out of it, on top of his ghastly bruised pallor. His messy auburn hair was highlighted by specks of white and grey. He was the perfect match to my zombie bride costume. Alice had taken my promdress, which had been iceblue, and had it bleached to almost white. It was a simple satin halterdress with a tight bodice and a flowing full-length skirt. She had added some satin flowers and shredded chiffon to give it a more bridal yet weathered look. Then she had stained it in a similar way to Edward's suit. It must have killed her to 'ruin' such a gorgeous dress, but it worked perfectly. Besides, it was her decision and her idea. I had facepaint similar to Edwards, but without the wound. Instead, she had given me dramatic smokey eyes with smudged eyeliner and smeared bloodred lipstick. My hair had been loosely curled, then ruffled, before adding a lace veil. I loved it.

The only thing that had me asking questions was Alice's insistence I didn't wear any jewelery. I didn't wear a whole lot to begin with, but I wasn't even allowed to wear the necklace Edward had gotten me for my birthday the year before. She stated that zombies and diamonds clashed and the necklace would ruin the ensemble. Although I briefly wondered about her comment on diamonds – I had been convinced they had been crystals - I decided to not push the issue any further and just shrugged before making my way into the living room.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jasper and Emmett snickering, obviously enjoying a private joke, Rosalie elbowing her boyfriend in the ribs, when Edward greeted me in the middle of the living room.

'You look... breathtaking, love', he said almost reverently.

I blushed through my white facepaint. Edward showered me in compliments, but I was still a little shy in accepting them without brushing them off.

'Come for a walk with me?'

'Don't we need to help set everything up?'

'Don't worry, B, we've got it covered here', Alice said.

'But, don't I need to be here when the guests arrive?'

'They'll just have to wait,' Rosalie ushered us outside, 'Go! Your boy wants you all to himself for a moment.'

I couldn't help but notice all of their suspicious behavior; Alice not asking us to help when she clearly wasn't done yet, Rosalie practically throwing us out of the apartment and Emmett and Jasper barely containing their giggles. Yes, giggles. What were they up to?

That question was soon answered as Edward guided me out of the apartment and out of the building, to a nearby park. We had been there on the Fourth of July, having a picknick and watching the fireworks while a band played in the gazebo that was set in the center of the small park. I gasped when I saw it. Obviously, Alice had had a hand in setting it up this way. The plain white wooden structure was decorated with organza drapes and candles, giving it a spooky but fairytale-like atmosphere. I looked to Edward in surprise, but he didn't say a word as he took my hand and lead me up into the gazebo. There was a small radio just off the steps and when he pressed a button on it, soft music came on, which I recognized as Debussy's _Claire de Lune_. Edward took my hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it.

'Dance with me?'

We gently swayed to the music and I was slowly starting to feel overwhelmed. This was just so romantic! How long had he been planning this? How had he orchestrated this setup?

'What are you thinking, love?'

'I'm just wondering... This is too perfect for words... When... how... did you put all of this together?'

He chuckled and gave me a shy smile, which really piqued my interest. Edward was hardly shy. This must be something important.

'Well, I've been thinking about this for a while now. And when you left... I was just... lost. Bella, I'm nothing without you. Ask anyone, I'm a miserable man if you're not there. I love you, so fu... freaking much.'

'I love you too, Edward', I whispered.

He gave me a quick kiss before continuing.

'So, anyway, over the summer, and after you left, I did a lot of thinking and I finally talked to Emmett about it. I know he is important to you, and he is my best friend, so I figured he'd be the best person to talk to...', he rambled, 'And when he reacted positively, and you called to say you were coming home... I was so happy, so happy, baby. I never, ever wanna let you go again.'

'I'm not going anywhere, not anymore...'

He put a finger over my lips, effectively silencing me.

'Then I went to Alice to ask her to help me with this,' he gestured towards the gazebo, 'to make it perfect. For you. Bella, I love you. So...'

And then he sank down onto one knee and reached into his pocket, producing a small, black velvet-covered box. Oh... my... He opened it, showing me a platinum band with a round diamond, set amongst six smaller diamonds. Not that I could really noticed the details. My mind was reeling. Was this really happening?

'Isabella Marie Swan, I love you more than my own life. I promise to take care of you and love you for all of eternity. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?'

I gasped and nearly fainted. This was really happening!

Edward looked up at me, a hopeful expression on his face. My mind started yelling at me to answer, but it took me a few moments to find my voice.

'Edward...', I finally choked out, 'You never needed to ask. Of course I'll marry you!'

A glorious smile broke out across his features. He quickly took the ring out of the box, slipped it on the third finger of my left hand and kissed it, before scrambling to his feet, picking me up and twirling me around while kissing me soundly.

Of three things I was absolutely sure. First, I owed Alice and Emmett indefinitely. Second, Halloween would never be the same again. And third, zombies and diamonds definitely do not clash.


End file.
